Improvement in mowing-machines



2 Sheets-Sheet l.

C. M. DABOLL.

MOW'ING-MACHIN'E. No. 174,78. Patented Marchl, 1876.

' UNITED STATES.

PATEN CHARLES M. DABOLL, OF NEW LONDON, CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVEMENT IN MOWlNG-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 174,784, dated March 14 1876 application filed October 15, 1875.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, CHARLES M. DABOLL, of the city and county State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mowing- Machines; andI do hereby declare that the following specification, taken in connection with the drawings furnished and forming a part of the same, is a clean-true, and accurate description thereof. 7 i Y My invention consists, first, in the combination, with the crank-wheel at the outer end of the crank-shaft and the outer end of the shoesleeve, of a telescopic joint, whereby the space between the abutting surfaces is practically guarded against the entrance of grass and dirt.

Secondly, in the combination, with the pit man-rod and the crank-wheel, at their junction with the crank-pin, of a telescopic joint, whereby clogging with grass, and the introduction of dust and dirt to the crank-pin, obviated.

Thirdly, in combination, with the drivingshaft, of a non-rotative sleeve, which incloses the driving-shaft, and is attached to a hanger suspended from the axle, asleeved shoe mounted on the driving-shaft sleeve, and a stop-joint connection at the inner end ofthe shoe-sleeve, whereby the shoe, whilefree to rotate by the elevation of the cutter-bar, is prevented, to any desired extent, from rotating from a certain are practically predetermined point in the opposite direction.

Fourthly, in the novel location of the whipsocket, the same being mounted upon the sector-standard, and adjacent to the lifting-lever andcatch-bar, whereby the driver is enabled to securely deposit his whip, and at that moment have his hand free and convenient to the ele vated cu tter-bar, or to operate the lifting-lever. Fifthly, in the novel connection of the liftin g sector-standard with a front extension of thefoot-board, instead of mounting the sectorstandard upon the tongue, as heretofore,

whereby the standard may be more permanently attached, and admit of thc'reuioval of the pole for transit or storage, without disturbing any other portion of the machine.

Sixthly, in an improvement in the sector, which consists in providing its upper end with a link-slot, and also with a collar at its lower end,

of New London, in the lug-gearing and shipper,

provided with a grooved eye the foot-board detached from whereby, by reason of the link-slot, the chain may be promptly adjusted to the sector, and by reason of the collar :the chain may be always maintained in working position.

Seventhly, in the combination, with an axlesleeve which extends practically from wheel to wheel, of a chambered hanger securely bolted thereto, containing the driving shaft and gearing, whereby the hanger is firmly and solidly attached 'to the machine, the extended axlesleeve serving as a rigid rectangular brace for the hanger, and thereby securing the bvev eled gearing contained within the chamber against all irregular and vibratory movement when in use,

Eighthly, in a novel combination of the drivthe same consisting of a stud rigidlyattached to the hanger, a longitudinally-immovable hollow splined shaft, carryinga keyed pinion, which engages with the drive-wheel gear, and a bevel-wheel for.

meshing with the gear of thedriving-shaft,

with the spline on the shaft, and an annular grooved collar, with which a sliding shipperclutch engages, whereby in shipping in and out the shipper-gear is moved to and from the driving-shaft gear in a rightline without movement of the shaft, which is immediately operated by the drive-wheel gear, and without eccentric movement of the hanger.

For a more specific description of these and several other minor features of my invention, reference will be had to the drawings, in which Figure 1 represents my improved machine in perspective. Fig. 2 represents the same in plan view. Fig. 3 represents, in perspective,

the axle. 4 represents the axle-frame, gear hanger, driving-shaft, and shoe detached from the axle. Fig. 5 represents the hanger and gearing in vertical section. Fig. 6 represents the shipping mechanism and gearing detached from the hanger, and located in their. proper relative positions. Fig. 7 represents the hanger, driving-shaft, and tical section. Fig.8 represents, in section, the crank-wheel, wrist-pin, and cutter-bar pitman. Fig. 9 represents the lifting-sector detached.

The two Wheels A and A are mounted upon r QFFIGE.

for engaging.

shoe in longitudinal ver front,

v the axle, and connected therewithby ratchets between those points, with .the exception of rectangular space on top. This sleeve is provided with a strengthening-rib, as at a, Fig. 4. The foot-board D is of cast-iron, in one piece. At its rear end it is constructed in tubular form, and throughout its width incloses the axle, as shown in Fig. 3, and occupies and fills the rectangular spac sleeve-frame U,before mentioned. On the rear side of the tubular portion ofthe footboard is a projecting lip, as atb, which, when the pole is properly elevated, isnearly in con' tact with the coincident upper edge of the sleeve-frame at the rectangular opening. The front end of the foot-board is narrowed and extended for receiving the tool-box, for connecting with the tongue, and for maintaining the sector-standard E. The hanger F is cup' shaped in form, with its open end toward the main driving-gear B. It is cast with a sleeveneck at c, through which the axle passes, and

through suitable ear-lugs is rigidly bolted to the adjacent endof the sleeveframe C. Cast solid with the hanger is atubular neck, d, ex-

tending radially from its periphery to the and both hanger and neckare made as light as possible, but provided with a curved strengthening-web on the hanger, and with longitudinal webs on the neck d, as shown. Within thencck d the driving-shaft G is journaled. Extending from the center of the hanger toward the drivegear; and across the faces of its teeth, is astud, e, of shaft-iroinrigidly mounted upon and secured to the hanger by a screw and nut at its outer end, as inFig. 5. On this stud the hollow shaft H is revolved by the pinion I, which continually meshes with the drive-gear B. The hollow shaft is longitudinally splined, and thereby is operatively connected to the bevel driving-gear K, which is otherwise loosely mounted thereon. The bevel gear K has on its inner, face an annularly-grooved flange, as at f, with which a lougitudiually-sliding shipper, g,'engages by -means of a yoke, which partially embraces the flange and occupies partially the annular groove therein. The shipper g is moved longitudinally by the shipper-lever h, pivoted in lugs projecting from the side of the hanger, and provided with a vstandard having pinholes and a pin, whereby the shipper-lever may be securely maintained, whether the shipper be in or out of gear. On the inner endof the driving-shaft G, within the hanger, is

e on top of keyed a bevel-pinion, i, which meshes with the beveled driving-gear K.

For throwing the driving-shaft in and out of gear, the shipper-lever is moved so as to carry thebevel driving-gear K to and from the shaftqiinion t, it moving freely longitudinally on the hollow splined shaft H. The upper end of the shipper-lever h is provided with a concave recess, into which the driver may place his foot and readily operate the shipper.

The shoe L is provided with a tubular sleeve at k, the interior of which is fitted to the sleeve which incloses the driving-shaft G. This shoesleeve is is braced and strengthened by a thin triangular web extending toward the fingerbar. The inner or rear end of the sleeve abuts against the co incident' edge of an annular projection, 01, on the tubular neck d, which extends from the hanger. The outer or front end of the sleeve 70 is provided with a projection or annular lip, l, which, at its periphery, is made truly cylindrical and concentric with the driving-shaft, as seen in Fig. 7. I

It will be seen that the shoe is mounted with relation to the driving-shaft in such a manner that its movements are all truly concentric therewith, and that, regardless of the angle at Y which the tin ger-bar is placed, the shaft,crankwheel, and pitman will maintain precisely the same relations to each other and to the cutterbar, and will therefore be operated without strain or undue friction equally well under all circumstances possibly incident to mowing -operations.

The cran k-wheel M is mounted upon the liar construction, having an annular flange on its rear side concentric with the axis of the shaftsleeve k afterthe manner of a telescopic joint. By means of the flange and lip the casual introduction of grass and other extraneous matter between the crank-wheel and shoesleeve is rendered practically impossible. The wristpin m on the crank-wheel is surrounded at its base by an annular recess. The pitmanhead at n is tubularly extended so as tooccupy the recess at the base of the wrist-pin. The outer side of the pitman-head is cup-shaped whereby it is retained in position on the wrist pin. By this peculiar telescoping of the movdnly worn, through the action of extraneous gritty matter, is practically reduced to a minimum.

The shoe is laterally braced by a curved bar, 0, which extends from the top of the shoe upward to the right hand and thence to the rear, where it is bolted to the axle-sleeve frameO. v v

The driving-shaft sleeve d and the shoesleeve 10 are provided with a stop-joint connection at the rear or inner endof the shoesleeve, composed, in this instance, of a lug, as at p, which projects for a short distance beyond the outer end of the driving-shaft; it is of pecudriving-shaft, which incloses the lip l on the for the reception of a circular flanged nut,

ing parts the liability of clogging or being unjoint and overlies the annular projection d on the sleeve (1, on which is a square-shouldered lug, as at q. The lugs are so located with relation to each other on their respective sleeves that the shoe-sleeve may freely revolve on the shaft to and fro from the position it would occupy when the outer end ofthe cutter-bar was depressed to the greatest extent consistent with practical requirements to the position occupied by it when completely elevated for transit; but, on the contrary, said lugs are brought into contact with each other when the outer end of the finger-bar is unduly depressed, and by that contact prevented from further depression. The value of thus controlling the outer end of the finger-bar will be obvious when it is remembered that serious injuries to a machine sometimes 'occur when the outer endof the finger-bar falls into a hole which is too deep to permit the outer shoe, by overriding the edge of the hole, to lift the cutterbar therefrom.

In orderto longitudinally connect the driving-shaft sleeve or neck cl with the shoe-sleeve k, the lug p is hooked over the rear edge of an annular-collar or flange, d, on the sleeve (1, and in this instance the hooked portion of the lug 19 also engages with the lug g on sleeve d, as is clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 7. The flange d on the under side of the neck is cut away to receive the hooked lug p.

N denotes the lifting-chain sector. It is mounted on a standard, V, which is bolted to the front extension of the foot'board instead of being mounted on the pole, as usual in this general class of front-cut machines. The iron foot-board affords a foundation which is permanent, and' the intermittent strains on the sector-lever cannot work the securing-bolts loose, as is liable when the bolts are entered in the pole; moreover, with thus mounting the standard, it is possible to detach the pole and yet to leave the machine intact. The upper end of the sector is slotted, as at s, for receiving a chain-link edgewise, thus aflording a ready means of attachment and adjustment. Thelower end of the sector is inclosed by a collar, t, through which the chain passes, whereby the latter is always maintained in its proper position in the groove of the sector.

0 denotes the whip-socket. It is mounted on the catch-bar u midway between its point of connection with the sector-s tandard and the finger-bar catch. The driver, about to lower the cutter-bar or manipulate the sector-lever, is enabled by the same movement of the body to securely deposit his whip, and be in a convenient position to attend to the cutter-bar or the lever, and his whip-hand. is in a position, after depositing the whip, to promptly grasp either of those devices. A special arm or bracket for the whip-socket may be mounted on the opposite side'of the sector-standard, securing thereby a location nearly as convenient as that shown.

It will be seen that the revolving axle and the driving-shaft, are wholly inclosed, not only resulting in practically guarding the same from undue wear, resulting from the action of gritty-matter, but rendering it impossible for them to catch and wrap thereon grass, reins, or any loose article of clothing which may be placed on the foot-board or seat, and liable to be suspended therefrom. The light axle-frame, with the hanger and brace-rod, afford a lateral bracing medium for the cutting apparatus and gearing, which, with a minimum of bulk and weight of metal, is of the strongest and most durable character.

Having thus described myinvention, I claim as new- 1. The combination of a shoe mounted on v side, which incloses the lip of the shoe, sub-- stantially as described.

2. A pitman provided with a laterally-extended tubular head, in combination with a wrist-pin surrounded at its base by an annular recess in the crank-wheel, substantially as described, whereby a telescopic joint is formed by the tubular extension of the pitman-head entering and occupying the annular recess at the base of the wrist-pin, for the purposes specified.

3. A pitman with a head havinga cupshaped front extension, in combination with the wrist-pin, and a circular flanged nut, substantially as described, whereby a telescopic joint is formed between the nut and pitmanhead, for the purposes specified.

4. The combination, with a nonrotative driving-shaft sleeve, of a shoe provided with a sleeve mounted upon the driving-shaft sleeve, and a stop-joint connection at the inner or rear end of the shoe-sleeve, substantially as described, whereby the' finger-bar, rigidly attached to the shoe, is prevented from falling at its outer end below a predetermined point, for the purposes specified.

5. A whip-socket located on the sectorstandard, within reach of the driver 011 the seat, and adjacent to the catch-bar and sectorlever, substantially as described, for the purposes specified.

6. In a front-cut machine, a sector-standard mounted on a front extension of the foot-board of the machine, substantially as described, as and for the purposes specified.

7. The chain-collar t, in combination with a sector, substantially as described, whereby the chain and sector are always maintained in working position, as specified.

8. The combination, withthe axle, of a sleeve, which constitutes the axle-frame of the machine, and a hanger rigidly attached to said sleeve for containing the driving-gearing, substantially as described.

9. The driving-gearing consisting of the main driving-gear, a rigid stud on the hanger, a hollow shaft on the stud, a pinion 011 the hollow shaft for engaging with the main drivlongitudinally mox'ing said bevel-gear on the splined shaft, substantially as described, whereby the said bevel-gear may be moved to and from the gear on the pitman-shaft, as

specified. V

CHARLES M. DABOLL.

Witnesses: V

. GEORGE S. DABOLL,

A. (J. LIPPETT. 

